Monday, May 31, 2010

After my post last night I laid in bed thinking about sacrifice. My cousin, William Walden and my uncle, William Merrill gave the ultimate sacrifice--their lives. But didn't their family also give the ultimate sacrifice? My Uncle Arthur lost a brother (William Merrill) in WW1 and then lost his prized son (William Walden) in WW2. On cnn.com there was a tribute to servicemen and women who lost their lives in Iraq. One of the photos was a soldier with his 2 small children (both of whom looked under 4). Didn't this family give the ultimate sacrifice? This young mother lost her husband and will be raising her small children alone.

So, today as I celebrate Memorial Day, I not only honor those who lost their lives in service, but also those who lost loved ones in service.

I also honor my friends Chris and Gina who parent their children alone while their husbands are gone, who go to bed every night praying that they won't be one of those wives who gives the ultimate sacrifice--their husbands. They are better women than I--I am too selfish to give my husband to my country. I am grateful that they make these sacrifices for my family to live in safety.

Although I'm a Florida State Fan, I am still proud of my Gator cousin, William Walden Corry. Today's post honors him and all the other soldiers who lost their lives in World War 2.

This information is from the Gator Zone. (Don't tell my brother I went there! I could be disowned!)

Few athletes in University of Florida history were more primed for success in life than William Walden Corry of Quincy. His credentials as an athlete, scholar and leader were impeccable. His inner strength and courage enabled him to accomplish tasks that most would not attempt.Corry lettered in football and golf for the Gators from l940-42. He was the starting fullback and captain of the l942 football team. At 6-1, l98 pounds, he was as big as most linemen, and he could run and block. Newspaper accounts from that era described him as "tough."As a senior he led the l942 team in scoring with 36 points. He ran for three touchdowns against Randolph-Macon, and his third quarter TD against Auburn was the difference in a 6-0 upset victory by the Gators.

Corry was also the unquestioned leader of the student body, serving as its president in l942-43 and as an officer in many campus organizations. He was president of Alpha Kappa Psi and Scabbard and Blade, vice-president of the F-Club, Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, Beta Alpha Psi, member of the Executive Council of Florida Blue Key, senior warden of the Episcopal Vestry and Colonel of the Army ROTC .

When he graduated with honors from the College of Business Administration on May 4, l943 the future appeared golden. Steve O'Connell, a champion boxer at UF in the l930s and later president of the university, told close friend Whitt Palmer of Ocala that he thought Corry might one day be President of the United States.

Corry traded his cap and gown for an Army commission as a second lieutenant the week after graduation. He was sent for training at Ft. Sill, and other bases in the states, before being shipped overseas for duty in the European Theater under famed General George A. Patton.The field artillery detachment commanded by 2nd Lt. Corry was fighting its way across France on hie 23rd birthday in January of l945. Patton's troops were slowly but steadily shoving the German army out of that nation.

On February 4 of that year, only weeks after his birthday, a major artillery battle took place. A German shell exploded amidst Corry and his men. Reports show the attack took place in the dark and when medical corpsmen arrived, Lt. Corry told them to take care of the men in his platoon first. By the time they could get back to him, he had passed away. It was noted by the corpsmen that it was a wonder He could even speak, much less in an audible voice. Lt Corry was awarded the Bronze Star, Distinguished Service Cross and a Purple Heart.

Corry was buried in his hometown of Quincy, not far from the house on East King Street where he grew up, which is still inhabited by his brother, Rev. Richard Corry. His sister, Jean Corry Munroe, lived next door. Corry was born and raised in Quincy, and was a high school golf and football star who spent his summers in Passaic, N.J. as a sportswriter for his grandfather's newspaper.

He was honored in March of l959 when the University of Florida named its new married student housing complex on campus the William W. Corry Memorial Village. To this day Corry Village is home to Gator students and their families.

These posts are posts from 2008, but I wanted to recycle them today to celebrate Memorial Day and remember servicemen who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Two that I'm blogging about are my family.

Join me as we celebrate America and honor the men and women who have died serving our country. My family is a Navy family and have served with distinction and honor. Today's post will honor my great Uncle William Merrill Corry, Jr.

William Merrill Corry, Jr. was born on 5 October 1889 at Quincy, Florida. Admitted to the the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1906, he graduated in 1910 and spent the next five years serving in the battleship Kansas. In mid-1915, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Corry began instruction in aviation at Pensacola, Florida, and was designated Naval Aviator # 23 in March 1916. He had a flying positions with the armored cruiser Seattle between November 1916 and May 1917, then was an officer in the armored cruiser North Carolina.

In August 1917, Lieutenant Corry began World War I service in France, where he commanded Naval Air Stations at Le Croisic and Brest during 1918 and early 1919. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in July 1918. Corry remained in France for the rest of 1919 and the first half of 1920, involved in removing U.S. Naval Aviation forces from Europe as part of the post-war demobilization. In mid-1920 Lieutenant Commander Corry was assigned as aviation aide to the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet, stationed on the Fleet's flagship, USS Pennsylvania.

While on a flight from Long Island, New York, with another pilot in early October 1920, the plane crashed near Hartford, Connecticut. Though thrown clear of the wreckage, the injured Corry ran back to pull the other officer free of the flaming aircraft. Badly burned during this rescue, William M. Corry died at Hartford on 7 October 1920. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism during that accident.

Airfields at Pensacola, Florida, and three destroyers have been named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Corry. The ships are: USS Corry (DD-334) of 1921-1930, USS Corry (DD-463) of 1941-1944, and USS Corry (DD-817) of 1946-1981.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Did you miss out on some of the fun of NSD? If so, you can get the items in my Grab Bag for 25% off through Wednesday. You can also get my Blog Train Journal Clusters as a set for 25% off or individually through Wednesday. (After Wednesday, the individual clusters will be deleted).

Sunday, May 02, 2010

The celebration just keeps going! Join me at Digitals for more NSD fun. My whole store is on sale for 30% off, I've got an awesome Grab Bag for only $3.00, and we're on day 4 of our blog train!

Today's journaling cluster also gives you a sneak peek into my Grab Bag!!

This journaling cluster is made with my new kit (included in the grab bag!) Lewisham. You can get this kit in my grab bag for only $3, or you can wait until Thursday, and purchase it for $5.95! (I'd get it now...)

Sorry, this link has expired.

This freebie will only be up for 24 hours. After that, it will be available in the store for a limited time separately, before being sold in the collection.